Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-01

Electric Light Company Refused a
 Charter-The Derby Roads Sale Re-
 ceives AttenIiOn-A Substitute Hill
 Provides For Hts Sale at Auction
 Henry k. Goodwin's Memorial
 Brought Up-A Hearing Before the
 Railroad COmmfttee-A Bill to be
 FavOrably Reported on Relating to
 New Haven Orphans.
 HARTFORD, March 31, 1887. | Special to the JOURNAL AND CouRIER.1
 The wheels of legislation turned briskly
 to day, and from early morning until late in
 the evening the lawmakers were kept busy.
 Matters are being brought to focus. The solons are now eager to get through as
 they were at one time to lag. In the Senate
 the special order was the weekly payment
 bill. The afternoons interest centered in
 the we'll lighted and commodious railroad | committees room where the hearing was held
 on the charges made by Henry L. Goodwin
 against the Consolidated and other roads.
 The memorial, which has been printed, as-
 sumes certain irregularities, conceslments,
 nanipulations and omissions in the returns of the Consolidated road. It claims that certain expenditures of the company which
 by them are charged to current expenses should have been charged to construction and equipment account, and that the com pany's sinking fund account has been
 manipulated" by marking off the sum of $40, ,494. A, in that funds estimate, in the | market value of the New Haven and North ampton companys stock.
 MT. Simeon E. Baldwin, of New Haven
 said he appared for certain stockholders of the New Haven and Northampton company. | Al,a &l,n ,S,l-, fr,,l created to hide an illegal purchase of the New Haven and Northampton bonds. He asked to be heard in support of a suggestion that no report of this committee should find that this sinking fund was formed for a proper purpose. He represented parties who had large interest in the Northampton, owning about 1000 shares.
 "I oppose MT. Baldwin being heard" said l Attorney Robinson.
 | The committee held a consultation and Senator Graham said the committee had de- l cided that they would not hear the New | Haven professor
 l "I insist on presenting resolution have l here" said MT. Baldwin
 The committee still remained firm.
 :sThis is the first time I have ever been | refused hearing before legislative commit | tee on perfectly legitimate matter" he con l tinued, land don't want any whitewash1ng of this illegal sale of Northampton bonds made by my esteemed brother contemporary | Robinson"
 seBrother Baldwin, it is plain to see, has some clients whom he wants the committee l to aid"
 It was finally ruled that MT. Baldwin should be allowed to present his resolution l without any argument The resolution re- | cites that purchase of 12, ,298 shares of stock in the New York, New Haven and Hartford l oil JUQl in in he l name of. William E. Barnett of New York, | the private secretary of President Watrous. l This purchase was made to secure control of l the Northampton road, and prevent it's being | operated a competing road Since such 1 control was assured there has been every year | a choice of directors, a majority of whom are | stockholders and directors of the New York, l New Haven and Hartford road. suit was | brought for the return of part of this stock, l and still on trial. The committee therefore | recommended no action at point by the Gen. | eral Assembly. Henry s. Robinson present | ed long denial of the charges.
 Treasurer Squires, of the Consolidated road, l was then sworn and Judge George G. Sill, of l Hartford, began to question him. The first | question was where the $4 900 received from l the rent of the Stamford and New Canaan l was mentioned in their report.
 ''It was not mentioned in detail' said MT. Squires, 'but the money was paid to the own CTS of the road and charged in the rent account of the sinking fund"
 "The road is in reality owned by the Con- | solidated," said Judge Sill, ''and charges are | made against it as though It was owned by l another corporation"
 1 Judge Sill continued his questions for over 1 two hours and it was shown that certain de- l tailed statements were not made as required | by law in their report. The hearing was a | long and interesting one. Judge Sill had several questions which went back four five years l rulsd out by the committee Questions were | put to President Clark and E. H. Trow- bridge of the Consolidated road relating to union matters. When the question came of | calling the next witness it was suggested that President Clark be called.
 'No no," insisted MT. Goodwin; "I don't | want him until the last"
 This remark caused much laughter, the new president of the Consolidated gave MT. Goodwin some pretty herd rubs in the few | questions asked this afternoon, and the | roads antagonist seemed to have whole some and growing fear of him.
 There was not much brought out this af- ternoon which is worth detailing. MT. Good | win says he will have Messrs. Trowbridge, Squires and Clark called again. E. H. Trow- | bridge gave certain statements before the close of the hearing relating to charges in the memorial.
 The several weekly payment and factoriz ing bills were the order of the day in the Senate. The one first taken up provided ! that weekly payments must be paid to every person. partnership or corporation employ l ing labor, provided, however, that any en- ploye may of his own accord leave his wages | on deposit with his employer. Senator | Bates offered amendments that payments be ] made only 'tas frequently as four times per month, D making the employer liable for neg lect to pay each fourth par, of the monthly earnings and that the penalty, if not over 1 $500, one-third to the person suing and one- | third to the wronged employe, shall be the measure of compensation for all damages. | These amendments were agreed to and Sena- l tor Bates, chairman of the labor committee, explained the bill at length. Senators Sum- ner, Hill, Hall, Walsh, Staub, Graham, Bates, Dunbar, Burnham, Doolittle, Matthews, | Beckwith Leach and Coffin took part in the l lengthy discussion which followed. Senator Gallagher made an earnest and very eIouuent speech in favor of the weekly payments Many firms have adopted the system and others should be required to. It | is an advantage not only to the workingmen. but will be to manufacturers. who will avoid factorizing process and other trouble. No body will suffer excepting a few money | lenders The speech was of Senator | Gallagher's inimitable pieces of oratory. The | roll was then called on the final passage of l the bill, and it was passed, 16 to 5. The | bills changing the factorizing laws were then | taken up. All were adversely reported. | Senator w alSn OnereO an amendment to one of the bills striking out the proviso that ben | efts allowed by sick and benefit associations | shall be exempt. With weekly payments the l $50 exemption of wages is sufficient. After 1 debate the amendment was agreed to and the | bill then passed
 The resolution appointing Rufus s. Pickett | judge of the New Haven City court was passed. The resolution appointing James $. 1 Thompson, of East Haven, assistant judge of the same court was protested against by Senator Coffin. who didn't think it proper | that any member of the General Assembly should occupy place of trust or honor. The resolution, however, passed.
 l Senator Gallagher's resolution favoring the abolition of duties on coal, iron, wood, etc., was reached on the calendar and was ordered printed.
 Matters passed in the House were: Bill providing for the registration of births, mar riages and deaths; resolution appropriating $50, 900 for two cottage buildings at the State Reform school and furnishing them. All the trustees to have the case of the appro- priation; bill prohibiting the appointment of special constables, speciul police and deputy sheriffs not prohibiting the Governor to appoint special officers railroads and | steamboats.
 | Representative Connors' bill emDowerino